Play Adventures of Dino Riki, The Online

I first played Adventures of Dino Riki on the NES back in the late '80s, a time when side-scrolling shooters were everywhere. It was developed by Hudson Soft, and it had this weird charm that set it apart from the usual space shooters. You control a little caveman named Riki, and the whole premise is just wild: you're fighting dinosaurs, pterodactyls, and eventually UFOs, all while moving from left to right across a prehistoric landscape.

You guide Riki through several themed worlds, shooting rocks or upgraded weapons like axes and boomerangs at anything that moves. The main goal is to survive each stage and defeat the boss waiting at the end. One of the key mechanics is collecting power-ups that change your weapon and increase your firepower; another is the occasional chance to ride a pterodactyl, which lets you fly over obstacles and enemies for a short time. The game moves at a brisk pace, and the difficulty ramps up quickly with enemy swarms and tricky platforming sections. Playing it feels like a constant scramble to stay alive, but there's a real satisfaction in clearing a screen full of enemies with a well-timed boomerang throw.